Safety razor



Nov. 20; 1934.y w, H, BLACK SAFETY RAZOR lFiled March 27, 1934 wlTNssEs TORNEYS Patented Nov'..2o,`1934 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE' Appueaaen Maren 27, 1934, serial No. 717,657

' `201mm.` (c1. 30e-12) inventionv relatesto safety razors, an objectief the invention being to provide a safety razor employing a square razor blade having four sharp edges, and employing means for turning the blade between the guardand clamp of the razor when the latter are separated, to pre-4 sent new cutting edges to be secured between the guard and clamp. This operation of turning the blade is brought about when the razor is held in upright position and the blade disposed horizontally and after the clamp and the guard have been sufliciently separated to release the blade, thus permitting the blade to belturned without the necessity of touching the'blade with lthe fingers.

A further object is to'provide a` safety razor of this character which may be readily assembled, easily cleaned and safely turned, andfull'y v manipulated without the necessity of taking the razor completely apart.

It is understood that I preferably employ` ag square blade having four sharp edges which may be sharpened from bot-h sides, andthatthisfblade when inoperative position in the razor presentsl two cutting. edges to the guard with the other cutting edges covered, concealed, and protected between the guard and clamp.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in certain novel features ofconstruction, combinations and arrangements of parts, all of which will be'more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section illustrating my improved razor in operative position;

Figure 2 isa View similar to Figure 1 showing the razor with the clamp slightly elevated above the guard to partially release the blade;

Figure 3 is a view in longitudinal section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 -is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 1, showing the `parts in position to permit turning of the blade;

Figure 5 is a view in section on the of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a View similar to Figure 5 showing the parts in different position, and

Figure 7 is a plan view of the razor blade.

My improved safety razor comprises a hollow tubular handle A having integrally thereon at one end a guard B, and C represents a clamp which is adapted to clamp a blade D against the guard B. The blade D is square and has four edges l, and is provided with four openings 2 equally spaced apart and located around a ceniine 5-5 ,tral'opening 3. The Ablade D is provided with recesses 4 equally spaced and communicating with the central opening 3, said recesses being in line with the openings 2. `The corners of the blade D are preferably cut away or recessed, as shown at D', to facilitate the sharpening of the blade. The guardB and clamp C are longer than the blade so that when the blade is secured between the guard and clamp, two edges of the blade are protected, while the other two edges ofthe blade project slightly from the sidel edges of the -clamp .over the teeth 5 of the guard in position for use. It will be noted thatboth the guard and theA clamp are curved transversely intermediate their edges-so as to'provide` trough-like' Water'passages 70 6 at'bpDQSitc .sides of :theblade AD,i-to`permit a flushing o'f the razor through said passages when the razor is positioned undera faucet to thoroughly clean the razor. Thev clamp C is provided Awith a central stud 7, which is adapted to enter the4 opening 3 in the blade and project into thei hollow handle .aand 1s also provided with pms' s,

pins 8 and its lower portion is tubular and internally threaded, formingA a threaded socket 10 adapted to receive a threaded post 11, which constitutes a. fixed or integral part of a tubular stem 12 mounted to turn in a bearing 13 in the end of the handle A. This stem 12/ has an enlarged milled end 14 which normallybears against the end of the handle, and said stem being hollow permits water or other fluid to flow therethrough and escape through openings 15 in the sides thereof into the handle and then flow through the handle and clean or sterilize the parts of the razor. A collar 13' is fixed on Athe stem above the 95 bearing 13 soas to` hold the stem against longitudinal movement but permit free turning movement thereof. The post 11 -is'appreciab'ly smaller'- in diameter than the major portion o1 thestemv 12, so that a shoulder 16 is provided' at the junc- 100 ence to Figure 1 of the drawing, that when the blade is clamped in the razor, the fingers 18 are out of contact with the blade and it is only when the clamp is spaced from the guard to permit the blade to assume a straight position, that the iingers operatively engage the blade, as clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawing.

When the razor is partially open, that is to say, when the clamp C is separated suiiciently from the guard B so that the side lugs are free of the guard and above it and the blade, the blade can turn between the clamp and guard, and at such time there is sufiicient frictional engagement between the collar 17 and the shoulder 16, to cause said collar and fingers 18 to turn when the stem is turned, and thereby cause the blade to turn a distance of ninety degrees and present other cutting edges for use.

To prevent the clamp from turning when the razorfis partially open to allow the blade to be turned, I provide the stud 7 with keys 21 located at opposite sides thereof and movable in grooved enlargements constituting keyways 22 projecting inwardly from and integral with the walls of the handle A. These enlargements 22, which constitute the keyways, not only serve as guides and holding means to prevent turning movement of the stud, but they also limit the turning movement of the fingers 18, so that these ngers are permitted to turn a distance of ninety degrees only. Furthermore, it will be noted that the keys 21 and the keyways 22 are relatively short so that they are only in interengagement when the clamp is moved away from the guard suiliciently to release the pins 8 from the wall of openings 9, or, in other words, when the blade D is resting on the guard and is free from interengagernent with the pins 8 of the clamp. This position is illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawing. When in this position the milled head 14 of the stern l2 can be `turned a distance of ninety degrees, and through the medium of the engagement of the fingers 18 in the recesses 4 of the blade D, will cause the blade to turn a distance of ninety degrees and present new cutting edges to the guard.

The operation is as follows: Assuming the parts to be in their normal position, as shown in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawing, and it is desired to turn the four-edged blade to present other cutting edges to the guard, the operator grasps the handle A in one hand and with theY other hand turns the knob 14 in a counter-clockwise direction. This turning movement causes the post 11 to turn in the screw socket l0 of stud 7 and unscrew from said stud, causing the clamp C to move away from the blade D and from the guard B. Whenthe separation of the clamp is suicient to cause the pins 8 to release from the guard B and also from-the blade D, and cause the pins 8 to be above the blade D, turning movement of the stem clockwise through the medium of thecollar 17 and ngers 18, will cause the blade D to turn a distance of ninety degrees. During the turning movement of the blade, the keys lrnitted. It will be noted particularly by refer- 21 are in engagement with the keyways 22 so that the clamp Cis held against turning movement. By turning the stem 12 in clockwise direction, the clamp C may be further drawn down against the blade and clamp the latter against the guard, but if it is desired to entirely separate the parts of the razor, a continued turning movement of the stem in counter-clockwise direction will disconnect the stud 7 from the post 1l and the clamp and razor can be entirely separated for the purpose of removing the blade or for the purpose of inserting a new blade in position. Ordinarily, it is not necessary to entirely separate the parts for cleansing,as'water flushing from the faucet can be directed not only through the trough-like channels 6 in the clamp and guard, but can be directed through the hollow stem and handle by inserting the end of the hollow stem under the stream of water. If hot water is used, it will quickly dry, and this cleansing and drying operation may be assisted by blowing through the hollow stem and handle of the razor and also blowing endwise land crosswise through the hollow troughs 6 above and below the blade.

While I have illustrated what I believe to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be distinctly understood that various slight changes may be made with regard to the form and arrangement of parts without departing from my invention, and' hence I do not limit myself lto the precise details set forth, but consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A safety razor, including a guard, a hollow handle fixed to the guard, a clamp, a square blade having four edges adapted to be secured between the clamp and the guard, a rotary stem in the handle, a stud on the clamp projecting into the handle and having screw-threaded engagement with the stem, a collar frictionally engaging the stem, fingers on the collar engaging the blade so that when the blade is free it can be turned by turning the stern, keys on the stud, and keyways in the handle holding the clamp against turning movement when the parts are in position to turn the blade.

2. A safety razor, including a guard, a hollow handle fixed to the guard, a clamp, a square blade having four edges adapted to be secured between the clamp andl the guard` a rotary stem in the handle, a stud on the clamp projecting into the handle and having screw-threaded engagement with the stern, a collar frictionally engaging the stem, lingers on the collar engaging the blade so that when the blade is free it can be turned by turning the stem, the blade having a central opening receiving the stud, recesses in the wall of the opening receiving the fingers, short keys on the stud, and short keyways in the handle holding the clamp against turning movement when the parts are in position to turn the blade.

WILLIAM HARMAN BLACK. 

